Criminology & Criminal Justice, BS

About the program

The bachelor of science in criminology and criminal justice is offered in person (Downtown Phoenix, Havasu, West, Yuma) or online. This program introduces students to the fundamental foundations in criminal justice and criminology by preparing students to think critically, contribute to society and enhance public safety. Opportunities for graduates include: working at the local, state or federal level as a practitioner or continuing their studies in graduate programs in criminal justice, criminology, law or related fields.

Benefits of the program

Nationally ranked program
Accessible urban location
7.5 and 15 week course format options
Day, evening, and online course options
Internship opportunities
Study abroad and student organization opportunities

Degree requirements (as of the 2021 Catalog)

The bachelor of science degree in criminal justice is a 120 credit hour program. To earn this degree, all students must complete all General Studies requirements successfully complete the following courses:

Major Core Courses (27 credit hours)

Major elective courses (21 credit hours)

200-level or higher CRJ electives (3 credit hours)
300-level or higher CRJ electives (6 credit hours)
400-level CRJ electives (12 credit hours)

Policing Concentration Option (27 credits)

CRJ 315: Police Organization and Management
CRJ 409: Police Accountability
CRJ 410:Criminal Procedure: The Law of Investigations
CRJ 450:Crime Analysis
Upper Division Policing Concentration Elective from
200-level or higher CRJ electives (3 credit hours)
300-level or higher CRJ electives (3 credit hours)
400-level CRJ electives (6 credit hours)

**important note: 18 hours of upper division criminal justice courses are required

College interdisciplinary requirement (6 credit hours)

The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions has a college-level graduation requirement for all undergraduate students majoring within the college. This degree requirement is called the interdisciplinary public service requirement. Each student must complete course work from other schools within the college. Students may choose a core course from their major and three courses from the approved course list for this requirement in addition to completing ASU 101-CPP. ASU 101-CPP must be completed in the first year at ASU; the other courses can be taken while completing the degree. Questions about this requirement should be directed to the academic advisor for the major. To meet the requirement, students must take two courses from at least two of the following different areas/groups:

Interdisciplinary Requirement - Area 1: School of Community Resources and Development

Interdisciplinary Requirement - Area 2: School of Public Affairs

Interdisciplinary Requirement - Area 3: School of Social Work

Solutions Based Learning requirement (3 credit hours)

Solution-Based Learning Requirement

The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions has a college-level graduation requirement for all undergraduate students majoring within the college. This degree requirement is called the Solution-Based Learning requirement. Each student must complete coursework from their school or another school within the college that has an SBL designation. Students must choose a course from the SBL list to meet this requirement. The approved course list for each catalog year is available on the major map and DARS Graduation Audit. Students can complete the requirement through co-op opportunities, School of Crimonology and Criminal Justice Study Abroad, Honors Thesis amd otehr coursework. Questions about this requirement should be directed to the academic advisor for the major.

CCJ related area requirement (9 credit hours)

A criminal justice-related course adds to the curriculum of students majoring in criminology and criminal justice by complementing the content of required or elective courses in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Complementary material may examine criminal justice-related themes from other disciplinary perspectives, provide additional depth of knowledge surrounding existing criminal justice themes, and/or examine systematic links between issues of criminal justice and other social, political, economic, and scientific fields. To meet the requirement, students must take three courses that appear on this list of approved courses:

You may download two versions this list of classes:

CRJ Related-Area Courses regularly offered through ASU Online
CRJ Related-Area Courses regularly offered through ASU Classroom/Ground Campus

university undergraduate general studies requirement (35 credit hour minimum)

Remaining hours needed to reach 120 credits

general elective courses
courses toward minor or certificate
courses toward CRJ internship
area of interest courses

Major map

For a detailed summary of all of the degree requirements that includes a map sequencing the major by semester, visit the major map for the on-campus B.S. degree in criminology and criminal justice.

Important Links

Schedule your Academic Advising Appointment here.
Download and return a
complete_session_withdrawal.pdf (242.66 KB)
to sccj@asu.edu.
Permission to Register for CRJ 496 or CRJ 499
Begin the registration process for CRJ 492 or CRJ 493 by completing this form .
Tutoring and Academic Success
Disability Resource Center
Career and Professional Development Services
ALEKS Mathematics Placement Assessment
ACCUPLACER English Placement Assessment
Criminology and Criminal Justice Internships
Study Abroad opportunities in Criminal Justice
B.S./M.S. or M.A. accelerated program in Criminal Justice

Advising checksheet

One-page checklist of all the requirements for the B.S. in criminology and criminal justice, press

19-20_blank_checksheet.xlsx (76.02 KB)

.

A reminder

All colleges, schools, divisions, and departments establish certain academic requirements that must be met before a degree is granted. Advisors, directors, department chairs, and deans are available to help the student understand these requirements, but the student is responsible for fulfilling them. At the end of a student's course of study, if requirements for graduation have not been satisfied, the degree is not granted. For this reason, it is important for all students to acquaint themselves with all regulations, to be informed throughout their college careers, and to be responsible for completing all requirements.

Future employment

There is rapid growth and expansion in criminal justice-related occupational fields. Graduates of the nationally-recognized School of Criminology and Criminal Justice find employment opportunities in law enforcement, probation, parole, corrections, private security, court personnel, legal offices, and victim advocate agencies.

Students can explore career opportunities through internship placements at more than 200 organizations including the FBI, the Maricopa County Juvenile Court, the Arizona Attorney General's Office, and the Arizona Department of Corrections.